Essential to expendable. Worker protections are being turned into a BILLION DOLLAR TAX break for corporations. In 2022, the legislature cut the maximum number of EARNED unemployment benefit weeks from 26 to 16. A nearly 40% reduction! Even worse, for workers who experience a plant closure, EARNED benefit weeks were cut by 33%!

Because of these cuts to worker protections, the unemployment fund is growing. Instead of providing benefits for workers, the Governor and Republican led committee are moving to pass on those savings in the form of tax cuts to Iowa corporations to the tune of around a BILLION DOLLARS over just 5 years.

Iowans are seeing massive layoffs. Even those who are on temporary unemployment and have a return to work date have to jump through hoops to collect. Some are running out of unemployment completely. Economists predict a recession and now is not the time to cement EARNED benefit cuts with a tax cut for corporations.

Ask your legislator to vote NO Vote on HF 980/SF 607 and instead restore EARNED unemployment benefits that were taken away from working Iowans.